Has anyone read any of Laurell Hamilton's books?

[kache]

I am reading Danse Macabre atm and, goddammit, another waste. This writer has in her hands one of the most compelling worlds I've ever seen, and ruining it...

Even with all the grammatical errors (why nobody checks that before publishing?) her writing style is insanely compelling and immersive. If only she went back to the origins and stopped focusing so much on sex...

 

[DaveSimmons]

The first few Anita Blake books were pretty good, back when it was monster hunting instead of bad porn.

You might like Larry Correia - The Monster Hunters (collection of first 3 "Monster Hunter International" books):
http://www.baen.com/author_catalog.asp?author=lcorreia

 

[kache]

Will get them later on, thanks for the suggestion.

 

[kache]

Hmm, but it's a series written by a male with male prospective. The other reason I liked anitw blake's first books was also the female perspective.

 

[chelhxi]

So you've read all the prior ones? I stopped reading a few books back - just didn't care anymore. I think they were great up to around book 10 or so.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Nancy A. Collins' Sonja Blue books were pretty good:

http://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Blue-...ass+after+dark

(ISBN-10: 1565049004 / ISBN-13: 978-1565049000)

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Yes. The sex ruins it.

 

[Hoober]

So you've read all the prior ones? I stopped reading a few books back - just didn't care anymore. I think they were great up to around book 10 or so.

As an author, I honestly think you run out of stories at some point. It comes sooner rather than later for some.

I don't write fantasy or vampire-lore, but I do write a female protagonist --
http://www.dreampipepublishing.com/keyser-run-by-jl-austgen

 

[kache]

As an author, I honestly think you run out of stories at some point. It comes sooner rather than later for some.

I don't write fantasy or vampire-lore, but I do write a female protagonist --
http://www.dreampipepublishing.com/keyser-run-by-jl-austgen

But how can you run out of stories when you have created such a huge world?
Even if Hamilton didn't limit the story a lot with all that sex she could have material for like 100+ books. The world she created is homungous.

 

[thedarkwolf]

There are tons and tons of authors doing basically the same thing without their main character turning into a super whore.

Last ones I read were Carrie Vaughn's Kitty series were the main female character is a werewolf. Same basic premise other than that. Lots of other were critters, vampires, and other crap running around. They aren't great books by any means but they aren't bad.

 

[Hoober]

But how can you run out of stories when you have created such a huge world?
Even if Hamilton didn't limit the story a lot with all that sex she could have material for like 100+ books. The world she created is homungous.

It may be huge, but the author still has to be able to use that environment to weave compelling stories.

 

[HumblePie]

The first few Anita Blake books were pretty good, back when it was monster hunting instead of bad porn.

You might like Larry Correia - The Monster Hunters (collection of first 3 "Monster Hunter International" books):
http://www.baen.com/author_catalog.asp?author=lcorreia

This ^^^

Anita Blake was good up until book 7 or so. It went from thriller-ish monster hunting and who done it murder mystery style book to bad porn. The sexual tension was present with a few "peeks" here and there in the previous books, but then the series went off the complete deep end of necro-bestial-phelia. It stayed that was for a few books. I managed a couple before I was completely turned off. A friend of mine managed to get a few more beyond where he says that she went back off the bad porn and to the roots of the story again. Too me it was way too late to even attempt to go back to that series.

As for her other books, they are barely written better than pulp. By pulp I mean take books like those written by Butcher, Briggs, and others that are just the same story re-written over and over again and usually in the same lackluster style of writing that almost plays out like a bad table top gaming session.

 

[kache]

The first few Anita Blake books were pretty good, back when it was monster hunting instead of bad porn.

You might like Larry Correia - The Monster Hunters (collection of first 3 "Monster Hunter International" books):
http://www.baen.com/author_catalog.asp?author=lcorreia

Finished first book (I love ebooks!) and I am quite disappointed. The story behind is acceptable, but the execution is often lacking, and it's really super obvious that this is written by a nerd. His depiction of the relationships is horrible.
Generally the book itself lacks balance entirely.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Finished first book (I love ebooks!) and I am quite disappointed. The story behind is acceptable, but the execution is often lacking, and it's really super obvious that this is written by a nerd. His depiction of the relationships is horrible.
Generally the book itself lacks balance entirely.

I'll agree, he's just writing an idealized version of himself, but the story was decent. If you got the 3-in-1 versions, the second and third are better since the romance part is more settled, and it's more about the action.

Do you read fantasy? Elizabeth Moon's Deed of Paksenarrion is much better written, as is C. J. Cherryh's Book of Morgaine. Both have strong female characters.

 

[kache]

As an author, I honestly think you run out of stories at some point. It comes sooner rather than later for some.

I don't write fantasy or vampire-lore, but I do write a female protagonist --
http://www.dreampipepublishing.com/keyser-run-by-jl-austgen

You're a male writing a book with a female protagonist... Hope you at least had a female support on this, or the result is probably ... not so good.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Here's a slightly longer list of a few good female writers in fantasy and SF:

Elizabeth Moon - Deed of Paksenarrion (fantasy), Herris Serrano series (SF) - http://www.baenebooks.com/s-78-elizabeth-moon.aspx
C. J. Cherryh - Book of Morgaine (fantasy), Chanur series (SF)
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller - Liaden / Korval series (science fantasy)
- Partners in Necessity - http://www.amazon.com/Partners-Neces...s+in+necessity
- ebook (read Conflict of Honors first) - http://www.baenebooks.com/p-1188-the-dragon-variation.aspx
Jo Clayton - Diadem series (science fantasy), Skeen series (SF)
Sarah Hoyt - Darkship Thieves (SF) - http://www.baenebooks.com/p-1102-darkship-thieves.aspx

 

[kache]

I'll agree, he's just writing an idealized version of himself, but the story was decent. If you got the 3-in-1 versions, the second and third are better since the romance part is more settled, and it's more about the action.

Precisely, that's why it's unbalanced.
And, ffs, that author using evil like he's breathing. Is he a catholic or what?

Anyway, I'll try reading the first Sonja Blue book now.

 

[kache]

Thanks for the suggestions, BTW.

 

[kache]

Holy Shit, Sonja Blue is so heavy...
Both subject and language used (I have to keep checking words on the dictionary)...

 

[tboo]

I thought this thread was about Linda Hamilton's boobs.

 

[kache]

Read first 2 books of sonja blue. It's awesome.
But now I can't get ahold of book 3 and above... T_T

 

[kache]

Book 3 and 4 read. I'm loving this!

 

[HumblePie]

Book 3 and 4 read. I'm loving this!

As I said, the first books up until 7 or maybe book 6, are REALLY good books. The series is great up until that point. Then you end up reading bad porn after that. I think I remember specifically an orgy going on that was described in too much detail that lasted a good 2 chapters. It seriously did NOTHING to the major story arc and was just sick to read. The books seriously go off the deepend in how they are written around that point. I wish I could tell you when the author finally realized that she massively turned off the majority of her audience (her books sales plummeted for several books) and went back to the way it used to be. My friend kept reading and he said there are a good 4 books in the series you can just skip. You won't miss anything if you don't want to read overly described bad sex acts.

 

[kache]

As I said, the first books up until 7 or maybe book 6, are REALLY good books. The series is great up until that point. Then you end up reading bad porn after that. I think I remember specifically an orgy going on that was described in too much detail that lasted a good 2 chapters. It seriously did NOTHING to the major story arc and was just sick to read. The books seriously go off the deepend in how they are written around that point. I wish I could tell you when the author finally realized that she massively turned off the majority of her audience (her books sales plummeted for several books) and went back to the way it used to be. My friend kept reading and he said there are a good 4 books in the series you can just skip. You won't miss anything if you don't want to read overly described bad sex acts.

I am talking about Sonja Blue, not LKH.

 

[HumblePie]

ahh nvm then